Cathay Pacific Airways Reports Record Passenger Traffic in June 2023
On July 14, Cathay Pacific Airways announced that its passenger traffic in June 2023 reached an all-time high since the start of the pandemic. The airline carried approximately 1,548,600 passengers in a single day, marking a staggering 931.9% increase compared to the same month in 2022.
The revenue passenger kilometers also saw significant growth, rising by 527.9% year-on-year. Additionally, the passenger load factor increased by 20.7 percentage points to reach 87.7%, while the transport capacity, measured in available seat kilometers, grew by 379.6% year-on-year.
In the first six months of 2023, Cathay Pacific observed a remarkable surge in passenger numbers, with a 2,230% increase compared to the same period last year. The capacity rose by 1,111%, and the number of revenue passenger kilometers skyrocketed by 1,685%.
Cathay Pacific’s Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, Kathy Lau, expressed satisfaction with the strong performance of the passenger transport business in June. Lau highlighted that on June 25, the airline carried over 60,000 passengers in a single day, a milestone achievement since the pandemic began. Cathay Pacific responded to the robust travel demand by increasing capacity and flight frequencies throughout the month.
Lau also mentioned that there is a high demand for long-distance travel to popular study destinations such as North America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The average load factor for flights returning to Hong Kong is around 90%, contributing to an overall load factor of 87.7% in June.
Looking ahead to July and August, Cathay Pacific remains optimistic about its passenger traffic performance. As flights continue to increase, the airline plans to reopen more VIP lounges for customers. Following the reopening of the Vancouver VIP Lounge in June, the fifth and final VIP lounge in Hong Kong, the first-class VIP lounge “Universal Hall,” will reopen next week. Additionally, VIP lounges in Taipei and San Francisco will be closed temporarily for renovation.
With the gradual reopening of VIP lounges and the growing number of flights, Cathay Pacific aims to cater to the increasing travel demand and provide a seamless travel experience for its customers.
In other Hong Kong travel news, the city recorded approximately 13 million tourists in the first half of this year. This demonstrates a gradual recovery in the tourism industry, supported by the increasing number of visitors and airline passenger traffic.